If you were as lucky as I was, you had a chance to spend time with your grandmothers or at least one of them. I always loved spending time with them. They always had interesting things to show or teach me. When I was about twelve, my maternal grandmother gave me a very important beauty tip that I still use to this day. I think you will like this one too. With all the hype about teeth whitening, we are all looking for a way to keep our teeth as white as possible. Professional teeth whitening costs a fortune (approximately $1000) and the stuff your find at the drug store isn’t cheap either. And who has the time?! Or the patience... There’s also the question of which products really do work and which should we leave on the shelf... no one wants to waste their hard earned money. Well, here’s an inexpensive, quick, non-intrusive way to whiten your teeth; baking soda! Yep! You read correctly. Once or twice a week (you actually can do this as often as you like, it’s completely safe), replace your toothpaste with a little baking soda to brush your teeth. It doesn’t take up extra time (which most of us don’t have anyway) and it’s something we all have in our house. It costs less than $2 a box and this box will last you a very long time...

Sometimes it just makes sense to go back to doing things the old fashion way.

If you are stuck shaving, you know what I mean. Not everyone can handle the wait between waxing (especially that hairy last week). So some (many) of us choose to shave to have more control over the pesky hairs. But even that comes with some down falls, if you are sensitive your skin will sometimes look “rashy” or it burns or both.

You can avoid this completely. This is a trick I discovered accidentally and have been using for a few years now.

As soon as you step out of the shower after shaving, apply Aloe Vera gel (make sure it is fragrance free – because the fragrance could cause some burning). Aloe is a natural cooling and soothing agent which forms a protective and healing barrier for your skin.

Since I have been using the Aloe, no more red bumps or irritated skin. It’s simple, inexpensive and effective.

When I was fifteen, I took a modeling course that was offered at my school during lunch hour. My teacher was a model, herself, and she was teaching us the tricks of the trade. One of the most important lessons I remember is when she was telling us about skin care. She said (and I must translate this because she spoke French); “Your face is not a floor, you must never use soap on it”. She explained how soap was too harsh on the skin and that the best way to wash your face was to first use hot water and a facecloth, give your face a good scrub (this is after removing all the make-up with a proper make-up remover) and then wipe your face with cold water. What this process does is the hot water will open your pores and you give a deep cleaning. Then rinsing with cold water closes your pores to keep your skin protected against the elements and when you apply your moisturizer and make-up it doesn't get into your pores. Acne and other skin problems are often caused by dirt and make-up getting into the pores. You can completely avoid these problems by simply rinsing your face with cold water after your cleansing routine. I have been using this trick for almost thirty years now and I regularly get compliments on mycomplexion. That’s my first Beauty TidBit! Til next week! And remember, Your Face is NOT a Floor!

Beauty TidBits:

I'm no beauty Queen but I do have a few tips I would like to share. Some are from when I took my modeling course in High School and some I discovered along the way. Every woman deserves to feel her best and beauty starts with how we feel about ourselves.